A death row inmate in Georgia who was sentenced 20 years ago on the basis of witness evidence that has since largely be recanted is waiting to learn whether his final bid to stave off execution later this week has been successful.

The fate of Troy Davis, 42, lies in the hands of one woman and four men who sit on the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. It is the only body in the state that has the power to commute Davis's death sentence, and barring a last-minute appeal to the US supreme court is the prisoner's final hope.